Today the national Fairfax newspapers published an opinion piece written by Prime Minister Julia Gillard about her stance on the issue of marriage equality. The issue is one that the PM’s governing party will take to a conscious vote at the ALP conference in December.
Last week we wrote about the fact that Gillard is the only Labor party leader who has not publicly advocated for legislative change on gay marriage. At the time we suggested that Gillard was fence-sitting on the issue in order to keep anti-gay marriage factions on side.
In today’s op-ed, however, the Prime Minister has shared her personal beliefs on the issue which is: that the ‘institution of marriage’ should remain unchanged.
She writes: “Many will ask what my opinion is and where I stand in the debate. As I have said many times, I support maintaining the Marriage Act in its current form and the government will not move legislation to change it. My position flows from my strong conviction that the institution of marriage has come to have a particular meaning and standing in out culture and nation, and that should continue unchanged.”
Exactly what defines ‘institution of marriage’ is pretty murky territory.
I’m going to assume that the Prime Minister is referring to the definition of “marriage” in line with the Catholic tradition: that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman, and that “marriage” is between a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation.
This dated, draconian interpretation is one held by a large percentage of the Australian population (according to a Essential Media report), and amazingly this theory is still regularly cited as the main defense by anti-gay-marriage factions and individuals.
I mean aren’t we at a stage in contemporary society where the ‘marriage is for procreation’ argument entirely undermines the sexual revolution and the advent of contraception? Don’t people these days have sex without the intentions of baby-making?
Why anyone is still referencing an outdated, irrelevant definition is bewildering – especially coming from the leader of the country.
Hopefully this country, which so proudly spruiks tolerance as an innately Aussie cultural virtue, joins Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden as places where same-sex marriage is both recognised and granted. If consenting adults want to be together why shouldn’t they be able to?
The ALP conference will be held in Sydney from December 2 to 4 2011.
Title Image by Morne de Klerk via Stringer/Getty
